Binance co-founder CZ said he was somewhat surprised at receiving a pardon from United States President Donald Trump and denied having a business relationship with the Trump family during an interview on Friday.
CZ told Fox News that he never physically met or spoke with Trump before or after receiving a presidential pardon in October, and only met with Trump’s son Eric once at the Bitcoin Middle East and North Africa conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“There is no business relationship between me, Binance, and World Liberty Finance,” CZ said. He added that he was unaware of the status of his pardon during the process:
“I did not know when or if it was going to happen. I believe my lawyers submitted the petition in April, and it took a few months. I didn’t know the progress. There was no indication of how far it went along, etc. Then, it happened one day.”
The pardon drew mixed reactions, with the crypto community celebrating it as a win for the industry and a reversal of the anti-crypto policies of the Biden administration, while Democratic lawmakers were critical of the pardon, accusing Trump of political corruption.
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CZ pardon sparks controversy and accusations of pay-to-play mechanics
In a press conference following the pardon, Trump said that he does not personally know CZ, but was advised that the case against him was politically motivated.
“He had a lot of support, and they said that what he did is not even a crime, it wasn’t a crime. He was persecuted by the Biden administration,” Trump said.
Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters accused Trump of entering into a “pay-to-play” agreement, pardoning CZ in exchange for crypto investments into projects and platforms associated with the Trump family, including World Liberty Financial (WLFI).
The allegations also prompted several Democratic lawmakers, including Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, to pen an open letter to attorney general Pam Bondi, scrutinizing Trump and the pardon.
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